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The morning after our first rain, Lady was close to the barn, so she headed that way to have her foot treatments done. But after the previous evening’s shower, she was extra spunky. 

When coming into the barn or moving from one yard to another, gates have to be opened, closed, and pinned so they don’t get broken or used as a toy. Because coming into the barn is a regular thing for Lady, and she never pays the gates any mind; Scott didn’t pin the gate in the open position as she was coming through. Lady decided that it would be more fun to play with the gate for a few minutes than to have footwork done. She would open the gate, close the gate, then slide it back open. She put her trunk up over the gate and decided to rub her little tush (the one in her mouth) on it as well. She seemed extra energetic and enthusiastic after the rain. This happened over a couple of minutes and it was super light and playful. 

After a few moments of being silly, Lady came into the treatment barn for her foot soaks. When Scott went to clean her face, she gave him a cheeky look. She then squished her face all the way into the bars of the chute to show her excitement. After that, she settled in and had a typical foot session with Scott. But it was hard to deny that she was super spirited after the first rain of the season. 

P.S.: Check out today’s podcast with more stories about Rana. Scott and Kat talk about what elephants need and how that impacts the actions of humans at sanctuary. Though people might want to touch and see elephants up close, it’s not necessarily what they need from caregivers all of the time. Rana is an elephant who does enjoy physical contact with humans, but only on her terms. Learn more about the complexities of human/elephant relationships and what it means to open yourself up to an elephant. You can listen on our website or on your favorite podcast app: https://globalelephants.org/podcast/

Photo of Lady